Community Bridge Builders

Lead service provider/commissioner

Name:

Halton Borough Council

Type of knowledge

Type of knowledge:

Project evaluation

Type of evaluation:

Interviews

Prevention service description

Community Bridge Builders offer free one-to-one support to enable people to think about the things they would like to do and where they can be done. The Bridge Builder will also support the person to go along to their chosen activity and overcome barriers, including providing public transport trainers. The range of activities that Community Bridge Builders can help people to access includes: leisure activities, sports, community activities, arts & culture, education, hobbies, volunteering and paid employment, accessing faith communities, friendships and travel training.

Adults with learning disabilities can be supported to access activities run by Halton Day Services using a social enterprise model. The Norton Priory houses a museum cafe, brewery and bottling house, ice cream parlour and tea room, chicken coop and garden which are all staffed with adults with learning disabilities with support from Halton day services. They also manage other similar models across Halton which include a hairdressers. In this way, a number of adults with learning disabilities are provided with opportunities to interact with their community and the diversity on offer means that people with different interests can find a role which suits them.
Community Bridge Builders can support adults in a person-centered way with different support needs to access voluntary work or employment at payment rates which do not affect their benefits, in order to provide stability and avoid the risk of penury linked to unstable employment.